Quirinal Hill, Rome

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When standing on Piazza del Quirinale I wondered what the nice Palace on the right side was. It is presently the seat of the Italian Constitutional Court but was built on order of Pope Clement XII by the architect Ferdinando Fuga between 1732 and 1735.
The fact that only one architect was busy with the design explains the homogeneity of this late Baroque façade. The palace initially housed a papal tribunal and secretariat as well as papal guards.
Pope Clement XII, from the Corsini family, who initiated a number of renovation projects in Rome, financed this palace thanks to the revenues of the lottery.
The interior decoration is nice but can only be visited on special occasions.

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When I arrived at this small crossroad of the Via del Quirinale and the Via del Quattro Fontane, I wondered why Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) had ordered to build four fountains at this spot?
Actually this crossroad is the highest point of the Quirinal hill. From here one can see the three obelisks placed by Sixtus V at Santa Maria Maggiore, Trinita dei Monte and Quirinal.
The fountains were included only later in the buildings on the corners among which the church of San Carlo. The distance from corner to corner is rather small so that the perspective is not the best. The present traffic makes the views even worse.

Three of the fountains are from the great architect Domenico Fontana.
The fourth on the north side is by Pietro da Cortona.
Two fountains Il Tevere (Tiber) and Arno show river gods. The two with female figures show Diana and Juno.

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A very nice thing to do if you happen to be in the right place at the right time. Also this happens near the famous Fontana di Trevi so you don't have to go too far or you do two things at one hit:

Rome's Presidential Palace is located on the highest hill of the famous seven hills of Rome. Also very near to the Fontana di Trevi as mentioned above.

First you see a colourful march of soldiers dressed in black, with red stripes in their trousers and black-and-red hats. White "belts" and shoulders complete the nice looking uniform. Then a soldier in green, carrying a flag takes the command and marches in front of the unit and the change of guards take place.

But...it doesn't end here, don't walk away: music lovers get their part now. A military band in green and with caps start to play.

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Located on its namesake hill, the Piazza del Quirinale is one of the highest points in Rome. It offers unobstructed views to the dome of Saint Peter's in the Vatican. In the centre of the Piazza are the statues of Castor and Pollux, the two master horsemen, with an obelisk in between. These statues were carved during Roman times as replicas of the Greek originals dating back from the 5th century BC. The obelisk came from the Mausoleum of Augustus. The Piazza is also home to Palazzo del Quirinale, which is now the Italian presidential palace. It was built in the 16th century originally as the papal residence, and after 1847 as the royal residence.

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Borromini's masterpiece, la Chiesa di San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, was also his last work. It was built in the 17th century and dedicated to Cardinal (and Saint) Carlo Borromeo, and is often referred to as San Carlino. The church's undulating Baroque façade is most admired for its elegance, and the striking interior for its oval dome. The church's location, adjacent to the Four Fountains, made it known as "Alle Quattro Fontane".

This oval shaped Chiesa di Sant'Andrea al Quirinale is a beautiful example of Roman Baroque architecture. It was designed by Bernini in the 17th century and built near Palazzo del Quirinale, the official residence of the president of Italy. The church is most admired for its interior and the red marble utilised in its decorations.

The Quirinal is the Presidents Summer Palace. You can't enter it unless (like he did recently) the President opens the palaces gardens for the public to see. It is still a good place to go even if yo can't go in. Outside the building is a very big square called Piazza del Quirinale (ofcourse). In the centre of the square is a staute which used to be at the entrance of the Roman Baths of Constantine. There is always a lot of Carribineri outside the Quirinale , it is nice to see them as one or two of the high ranked Carribineri are in full dress with a feather plume coming from their hat, knee high boots and some even with medals. If you edge near road there is a great view right over the city right over to the Vatican in the distance. A great photo opportunity. If you descend the stairs up to the Quirinale dwn to the road you will see three white statues set into the wall. One I think is Juliu Ceasar.

Trajan's Column is located near the Quirinal Hill, north of the Roman Forum and is a monument raised by Apollodorus of Damascus at the order of emperor Trajan.

Finished in 113AD, the spiral bas-relief commemorates Trajan's victory in his military campaigns to conquer Dacia. It is about 30 metres tall (38 including its large pedestal). The shaft is made from a series of 18 marble drums each weighing about 40 tons.

A 200 metre frieze winds around the shaft 23 times and is full of very interesting carvings though you can see only a few from the bottom. Maybe when it was erected there were ways to see more of them?

Inside the shaft, a spiral staircase of 185 stairs provides access to a viewing platform at the top. It's a good walk with excellent views over the Trajan Market.

Originally, the column was topped with a statue of an eagle and later by a statue of Trajan. In 1588 it was replaced by the current statue of St. Peter by Pope Sixtus V.